Turkey hunting at sterling forest?

[Tony7781]

Hey guys, does anyone hunt Turkey at sterling? I know no one is going to give up their sweet spots, but if you can provide a general area that can potentially be successful I would really appreciate it!!<br /><br />sent from my carrier pigeons....<br /><br />

[Elmo]

I've never hunt spring turkey but I know Sterling bans firearms during certain parts of the hunting season. You might want to check if they allow spring turkey with a shotgun first. Not sure myself.

[Two Track]

As long as you have a permit from Sterling, you can hunt there for Spring Turkey.

Fall turkey and small game in the fall is a bit different - no guns until early November.

 

Only saw one turkey in the Spring last year - 3 feet behind my bumper in the parking lot - obviously no shot there.

 

 

[ginoe]

have only been out there 2 seasons & never did see any sign, though i've run into other turkey hunters (but they say they've not seen anything either).

 

i'll be out there again this season.

 

ha! i see more turkeys on the drive over there than in the forest. the other night, commuting home i called out to this tom (yes, i'm still learning how to use the mouth calls).

 

[Tony7781]

Yea I think I'll still head up and see if I see any action. What are your views on box calls vs mouth calls? I never used mouth ones but wanted to try to keep my hands free.<br /><br />sent from my carrier pigeons....<br /><br />

[Two Track]

Three weeks ago they were feeding along the NY State Thruway near the South Fields pedestrian bridge.

 

Don't know if they roost in Harriman State park (which is no hunting) or go into Sterling Forest near the renaissance fair grounds.

Edited May 3, 2013 by Two Track

[Two Track]

I have confirmed there are turkeys in Sterling or at least this morning they were there.

Called in a nice size hen - about 30 yards away at 9:30.  Took some pictures of her. She came in from behind me quietly.  She only clucked a few times around 9:00 and then again around 10:15 when she was no longer in sight.

 

I was set up on the for hunting on the other side of a stone wall facing a grassy open area.  I switched my set up and moved my decoy to the side of wall the hen passed by on in  the woods.

 

Later got three birds started up and calling to each other from different directions ( 2 to my left and one in front of me), but nothing came in.  Note that two birds were from the direction I just moved from

 

I was the only one in the area so I took a quiet walk (or as closely as possible) to try to see the other birds.  They had already gone silent.  I appearently passed them as I got them talking after hitting them with a crow call and the calls were now behind me.

I worked my way to a woods road ended up circling around them. Sounds like they were in or near a swampy bottom area - but the clock for today had run out.

 

Never heard a single gobble.

 

Scared up a coyote on my way out.

 

Now have to decide whether try that area again, or go to Stewart where i had turkeys go past me during deer season - but will have a very long hike in to get to that spot.

 

 

 

 

[Coynefucius]

@Two Track any luck for the rest of the month in Sterling?